https://rekkonapp.com/blog/ Evidence-based writing on food tracking, calorie counting, protein, portion estimation and nutrition apps — from the team building Rekkon, a voice-first AI nutrition coach. en-au Thu, 03 Sep 2026 06:00:00 +1000 https://rekkonapp.com/favicon-512.pnghttps://rekkonapp.com/blog/ https://rekkonapp.com/blog/weight-loss-plateau-what-to-do https://rekkonapp.com/blog/weight-loss-plateau-what-to-do Thu, 03 Sep 2026 06:00:00 +1000 Weight Loss Daniel Treacy A plateau after two to three months is expected, not a failure. Two things cause it: your body burning less than predicted (adaptive thermogenesis), and your logging drifting without you noticing. In the MATADOR trial, alternating two weeks of restriction with two weeks at maintenance produced greater fat loss than continuous dieting. Here's how to tell which plateau you've got, and what to do about each. https://rekkonapp.com/blog/is-voice-food-logging-accurate https://rekkonapp.com/blog/is-voice-food-logging-accurate Thu, 03 Sep 2026 06:00:00 +1000 Voice-First Daniel Treacy Voice logging is self-report, so it inherits the 10–20% underreporting that every dietary method shows — including weighed food records, which a British Journal of Nutrition review found underestimate intake by 18%, worse than a spoken recall. Here's exactly where voice is weak, where it isn't, and why the precision of the instrument was never the constraint. https://rekkonapp.com/blog/do-i-have-to-log-everything-i-eat https://rekkonapp.com/blog/do-i-have-to-log-everything-i-eat Thu, 03 Sep 2026 06:00:00 +1000 Anti-Diet Daniel Treacy No. Around 30% of people misreport their intake even with a food scale, and roughly 70% abandon tracking within two weeks when it demands completeness. Perfect logging isn't achievable; consistent rough logging is. What's worth recording, what isn't, and the two things you should never skip. https://rekkonapp.com/blog/macrofactor-alternative https://rekkonapp.com/blog/macrofactor-alternative Thu, 20 Aug 2026 06:00:00 +1000 MacroFactor Alternative Daniel Treacy MacroFactor has the best target-setting algorithm in nutrition tracking — genuinely better maths than a static TDEE formula. It's also manual-entry only, at $11.99 a month with no free tier. Here's when that trade is worth it, and when the problem was never your target. https://rekkonapp.com/blog/calorie-tracking-australia-kilojoules https://rekkonapp.com/blog/calorie-tracking-australia-kilojoules Thu, 20 Aug 2026 06:00:00 +1000 Australia Daniel Treacy Australian food labels use kilojoules, menu boards quote 8,700 kJ, and almost every tracking app defaults to American calories and American serving sizes. Here's how the Australian system actually works, and how to track without converting everything in your head. https://rekkonapp.com/blog/alcohol-calories-weight-loss-tracking https://rekkonapp.com/blog/alcohol-calories-weight-loss-tracking Thu, 20 Aug 2026 06:00:00 +1000 Alcohol Daniel Treacy More than 80% of people don't know or underestimate the calories in a large glass of wine. A schooner is around 750 kJ before you've eaten anything. Why drinks are the single biggest blind spot in food tracking — and how to count them without ruining a Friday. https://rekkonapp.com/blog/how-to-track-calories-eating-out-restaurant https://rekkonapp.com/blog/how-to-track-calories-eating-out-restaurant Mon, 10 Aug 2026 06:00:00 +1000 Portion Control Daniel Treacy Diners underestimate restaurant meals by 175 to 260 calories on average, and the bigger the plate the bigger the miss. Here's what the research says about eating out, and four approaches that work better than pretending you can look it up. https://rekkonapp.com/blog/how-much-protein-on-glp1-ozempic-mounjaro https://rekkonapp.com/blog/how-much-protein-on-glp1-ozempic-mounjaro Mon, 10 Aug 2026 06:00:00 +1000 GLP-1 Daniel Treacy Search for a protein target on a GLP-1 and you'll get answers ranging from 1.0 to 2.2g per kilogram — of four different body weights. Here's why the sources disagree, what the consensus documents actually say, and the number that matters more than your target. https://rekkonapp.com/blog/cronometer-alternative https://rekkonapp.com/blog/cronometer-alternative Mon, 10 Aug 2026 06:00:00 +1000 Cronometer Alternative Daniel Treacy Cronometer is the most accurate nutrition tracker available, and for some people that's exactly right. For others it's the reason they stopped logging. An honest look at what it's excellent at, and when a faster alternative makes more sense. https://rekkonapp.com/blog/easiest-way-to-track-calories https://rekkonapp.com/blog/easiest-way-to-track-calories Sun, 19 Jul 2026 06:00:00 +1000 Weight Loss Daniel Treacy 70% of people abandon a nutrition app within two weeks — and it isn't willpower, it's friction. Here's what the research says about why tracking gets tedious, and the easiest way to track calories so it finally sticks. https://rekkonapp.com/blog/what-happens-when-you-stop-ozempic https://rekkonapp.com/blog/what-happens-when-you-stop-ozempic Sat, 18 Jul 2026 06:00:00 +1000 GLP-1 Daniel Treacy Most people regain much of the weight after stopping a GLP-1 like Ozempic — about two-thirds in the STEP 1 trial. Here's why that's biology not willpower, and how to build the eating skills the medication can't teach. https://rekkonapp.com/blog/how-to-keep-weight-off https://rekkonapp.com/blog/how-to-keep-weight-off Wed, 15 Jul 2026 06:00:00 +1000 Weight Loss Daniel Treacy The belief that everyone regains weight comes from a single 1959 study. A far bigger one — 10,000+ people who kept 30+ pounds off for years — shows what actually works, and the common thread isn't willpower. https://rekkonapp.com/blog/noom-alternative https://rekkonapp.com/blog/noom-alternative Mon, 13 Jul 2026 06:00:00 +1000 Noom Alternative Daniel Treacy Noom's daily lessons get repetitive, the color-coded food system oversimplifies nutrition, and the bill keeps coming after you've learned what it taught. Here's a simpler, voice-first alternative — no homework, no red foods, real calories and macros. https://rekkonapp.com/blog/weightwatchers-alternative https://rekkonapp.com/blog/weightwatchers-alternative Fri, 10 Jul 2026 06:00:00 +1000 WW Alternative Daniel Treacy WeightWatchers turns every food into a proprietary number you have to look up — and the company filed for bankruptcy then pivoted to selling weight-loss drugs. Here's a simpler, voice-first alternative that uses real calories and macros, no points required. https://rekkonapp.com/blog/is-cal-ai-accurate https://rekkonapp.com/blog/is-cal-ai-accurate Tue, 07 Jul 2026 06:00:00 +1000 Cal AI Alternative Daniel Treacy Cal AI turns a photo into calories — but peer-reviewed research puts photo portion estimation as low as 39% reliable. Here's what the science says, and a voice-first alternative that describes the meal instead of guessing from a picture. https://rekkonapp.com/blog/how-many-calories-to-lose-weight https://rekkonapp.com/blog/how-many-calories-to-lose-weight Mon, 11 May 2026 06:00:00 +1000 Weight Loss Daniel Treacy There's a real number, and a simple way to find it. But hitting it doesn't mean counting every calorie. Here's the honest maths — and the easier way to actually apply it. https://rekkonapp.com/blog/high-protein-breakfast-ideas-weight-loss https://rekkonapp.com/blog/high-protein-breakfast-ideas-weight-loss Mon, 11 May 2026 06:00:00 +1000 Protein Daniel Treacy Most breakfasts are carbs pretending to be a meal — and you're hungry an hour later. Here are high-protein breakfasts that hit 25-30g, keep you full till lunch, and don't require a recipe. https://rekkonapp.com/blog/how-much-protein-per-day https://rekkonapp.com/blog/how-much-protein-per-day Sun, 10 May 2026 06:00:00 +1000 Protein Daniel Treacy The research says you probably need more protein than you're getting. But you don't have to weigh chicken to hit it. Here's a simple, science-backed guide. https://rekkonapp.com/blog/yuka-alternative-stopped-scanning-started-eating https://rekkonapp.com/blog/yuka-alternative-stopped-scanning-started-eating Sat, 09 May 2026 06:00:00 +1000 Yuka Alternative Daniel Treacy Yuka taught 80 million people to read ingredients. Then I realised scanning every product wasn't telling me what to actually eat. Here's what came next. https://rekkonapp.com/blog/lost-50kg-fat-gained-10kg-muscle-no-calorie-counting https://rekkonapp.com/blog/lost-50kg-fat-gained-10kg-muscle-no-calorie-counting Sat, 09 May 2026 06:00:00 +1000 Founder Story Daniel Treacy Lost 50kg of fat. Gained 10kg of muscle. Never counted a calorie. Here's the honest story — over years not months — of what actually worked. https://rekkonapp.com/blog/why-i-quit-myfitnesspal https://rekkonapp.com/blog/why-i-quit-myfitnesspal Wed, 06 May 2026 06:00:00 +1000 MFP Alternative Daniel Treacy After three years of logging every meal, I gave up. Not because tracking doesn't work — but because the friction of the app made me dread it. https://rekkonapp.com/blog/why-calorie-counting-fails https://rekkonapp.com/blog/why-calorie-counting-fails Wed, 06 May 2026 06:00:00 +1000 Anti-Diet Daniel Treacy 80% of people abandon calorie tracking within six months. The problem isn't willpower. It's structural flaws in how calorie counting actually works. https://rekkonapp.com/blog/talking-to-your-food-tracker https://rekkonapp.com/blog/talking-to-your-food-tracker Wed, 06 May 2026 06:00:00 +1000 Voice-First Daniel Treacy A friend said: 'I like how you can just talk to it. With MyFitnessPal you have to be so specific.' That sentence explains everything wrong with food logging today. https://rekkonapp.com/blog/myfitnesspal-redesign-2026 https://rekkonapp.com/blog/myfitnesspal-redesign-2026 Wed, 06 May 2026 06:00:00 +1000 MFP Alternative Daniel Treacy MyFitnessPal's April 2026 redesign buried the food diary behind a 'View All' button. Here's why users are leaving — and what they're choosing instead. https://rekkonapp.com/blog/myfitnesspal-alternative-no-barcode https://rekkonapp.com/blog/myfitnesspal-alternative-no-barcode Wed, 06 May 2026 06:00:00 +1000 MFP Alternative Daniel Treacy Barcode scanning only works for packaged food. It fails at restaurants and home cooking. Here's what to use instead. https://rekkonapp.com/blog/lose-weight-without-exercise https://rekkonapp.com/blog/lose-weight-without-exercise Wed, 06 May 2026 06:00:00 +1000 Weight Loss Daniel Treacy Exercise is great. But weight loss is 80% what you eat. Here's what the research says about losing weight through diet alone. https://rekkonapp.com/blog/lose-weight-without-dieting https://rekkonapp.com/blog/lose-weight-without-dieting Wed, 06 May 2026 06:00:00 +1000 Anti-Diet Daniel Treacy Short answer: yes. Long answer: depends what you mean by dieting — and what you're willing to pay attention to instead. https://rekkonapp.com/blog/how-to-track-food-without-weighing https://rekkonapp.com/blog/how-to-track-food-without-weighing Wed, 06 May 2026 06:00:00 +1000 Portion Control Daniel Treacy Food scales kill consistency for most people. Here's how to track what you eat accurately — without ever needing a scale. https://rekkonapp.com/blog/hand-portion-estimation-accurate https://rekkonapp.com/blog/hand-portion-estimation-accurate Wed, 06 May 2026 06:00:00 +1000 Portion Control Daniel Treacy Nutritionists have been teaching hand portion sizing for decades. But how accurate is it really? The research might surprise you. https://rekkonapp.com/blog/ai-nutrition-coach-vs-calorie-counter https://rekkonapp.com/blog/ai-nutrition-coach-vs-calorie-counter Wed, 06 May 2026 06:00:00 +1000 AI Nutrition Daniel Treacy Calorie counters tell you what you ate. AI nutrition coaches tell you what it means — and what to do about it.